Degreasing apparatus embodying means for confining solvent vapor



M. JAFFA May 25, 194%.

DEGREASING APPARATUS EMBODYING MEANS FOR CONFINING SOLVENT VAPOR 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1944 INVENTORL Mose Jajfa BY ma /(r1%1444/ ATTORNEYS May 25,1942, AFFA 2,442,272

DEGREASING APPARATUS EMBODYING MEANS FOR CONFINING SOLVENT VAPOR FiledMarch 21, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN EN 0R. Mose a BY 77M f ATTORNEYS May25, 1948. M, JAFFA 2,442,272

DEGREASING APPARATUS EMBODYING MEANS FOR CONFINING SOLVENT VAPOR FiledMarch 21, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 j .i a I 12 i BY I mmmzzm/ 20 2 ,0ATTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1948 DEGREASING APPARATUS EMBODYING MEANS FORVAPOR CONFINING SOLVENT Mose Jafla, Brooklyn, N. Y.

A lication March 21, 1944, Serial No. 527,513

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a new and improved degreasing apparatus fordegreasing metal articles or the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a portable degreasingapparatus which utilizesa grease-solvent which is or may be vaporizedunder operating conditions. Such solvent may be tetra-chloro-ethylene,CChzCCh, which is also designated as perchloroethylene. a boiling pointof 121 C.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable degreasing unitwhich has means for preventing the vapor of the solvent from enteringthe work-room.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which has a tank whose upperend has an outer and laterally extending exhaust casing, and a cover forthe tank which is located above said casing.

Numerous additional objects of my invention will be stated in theannexed description and drawings, which illustrate preferred embodimentsthereof.

Fig. l is a front elevation of one embodiment which is provided with aspray head. The upper positions of the cover for the tank and of theframe on which said cover is supported, are. shown inbroken lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, partially in elevation, of a secondembodiment.

Fig. 3 is a section on the lines 3-3 of'Fig. '1 and Fig. 2, part of therepresentation of the frame [a being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, on a smaller scale.

Fig. 5 is a top plan of Figs. 1 and 2, taken at a level directly abovethe cover.

Both embodiments are the same, save that the embodiment of Fig. 1 has aspray-head 9 andthe embodiment of Fig. 2 has a spray pipe 21, which hasspraying perforations 28.

The tank I, which is rectangular in horizontal cross-section, has abottom tank-wall, in which the end 4a of pipe 4 is fixed by means of'aliquid- This has tight joint. The other end of said pipe 4 is connectedto the casing of a pump I, which is operated by motor 5. Said casing hasa discharge pipe 6. The solvent, such as perchloroethylene or the like,is forced out of the casing of pump 1, upwardly through pipe 5.

In the embodiment of Fig. l, the pipe 6 is connected to a flexible pipe8, to which spray-head 9 is connected.

The heater is of the conventional electric type.

electric heater 2|, whose heat is communicated to the tubes 20. Thesetubes 20 are closed at their free ends, and they are laterally disposed.These parts and the control whereby a substantially uniform temperatureof the solvent is maintained, are standard equipment, so that nodetailed description thereof is necessary. The tubes 20, which areclosed to save adjacent the heater, conduct the heat to the interior ofthe tank.

The solvent is maintained at the bottom of the tank I, in a pool P whoseheight is maintained at about four inches. This pool of solvent ismaintained at a temperature which is below and close to its boilingpoint by means of the heater and thermostat. Some of the solvent willvaporize and some of said vapor will condense on the thin vertical metalwalls of tank I, which radiate heat .very freely so that the temperatureof said walls frame F which is adjacent heater 2 I, is verticallyslotted, in order to clear tubes 20 when the frame F is raised andlowered. Said frame F has horizontal supporting flanges I50 at thebottom ends of its vertical walls I517. The horizontal flange I50 whichis adjacent heater 2! is horizontally slotted, so that the tubes 20 willnot obstruct the free raising and lowering of frame F.

Standards l5 are fixed to the top wall l5a of frame F.

As shown in Fig. 3, top wall 15a of frame F is provided with a series ofopenings 18, so that the vaporized solvent can pass from the bottom ofthe tank to the interior thereof.

cover I! is fixed to the top horizontal flanges of standards l5.

When frame F is supported upon the bottom wall of tank I, said cover I!closes theopen top of tank I.

An eye llb is fixed to the top wall of coverported from a hook H whichis fixed to diagonal bar I I. The top of said hook H is threaded andsaid hpok is fixed to bar- II by nut He. Said bar H is fixed to the topsof standards l9, Whose bottom end-portions are fixed to the outer wallof tank I.

As shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, the frame aeeaam 22 communicate withthe interior space of an external exhaust casing l9, which is fixed tothe outer wall of tank I. Said exhaust casing is has an outlet port 28,which is connected to exhaust pipe 24, which is provided with a blower25, which is operated by motor 26.

When the cover I! is in its closing position, any vapor which rises tothe top of tank i will escape through perforations 22 into the interiorspace of the exhaust casing i9, and such vapors will be dischargedthrough exhaust pipe 24 to any convenient outlet, 50 that such vaporcannot enter the work-room.

Only a small amount of vapor will be produced under normal workingconditions, so that the fan-blower 25 will be operated at low speed, andthe internal pressure in tank I can be kept close to atmosphericpressure. The vapor which is forced through pipe 2| can be condensed andreturned to the tank.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the liquid solvent will be dischargeddownwardly through the holes 28, upon the metal objects which aresupported on the top wall l5a of frame F, or which are held inperforated baskets which are supported on said top wali of frame F.

The metal objects will thus be supported above the top of pool P. In theembodiment of Fig. 1, when the sprayhead 8 is used, the articles can belocated in perforated baskets which are located in tank I.

The frame F can be raised high enough so that it will not be in the pathof the spray of solvent which is produced by spray-head 9.

' As an alternative, the objects can be supported on frame F, or inperforated baskets which are supported on frame F, and said frame can beraised to any convenient height, at which cover if is located abovespray-head 9. When the cover i7 is above spray-head 9, frame F oan belocated within the tank i, at any desired distance below the top of tanki. or frame F can be located above the top of tank i, at any desiredheight above said top of tank i.

When the spray-head 9 is utilized in the embodiment of Fig. 1,- themotor 29 and blower 25 can be operated. if desired, or the operation ofmotor 26 and blower it can be stopped.

The spray-pipe 21 is shaped and located so that I the frame F and theuprights 85 can be raised until said frame F is above the tank, withoutcontacting with said spray-pipe. Said spraypipe can be of rectangularshape, located close to the upstanding tank-walls of tank i. The sprayopenings 28 are directed so as to spray the solvent over the entirehorizontal cross-section of the tank I.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but numerouschanges and additions an'd'omissions can be made without departing fromits scope, as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1, A degreasing device comprising a tank, said tank having upstandingtank-walls and a bottom tank-wall, an electric heater associated withsaid :tank, heat-transmitting means associated with said heater, saidheat-transmitting means being located in said tank adjacent its bottomtank-wall and being fixed to said tank, a frame located in lowered, saidframe having upstanding supporting means fixed thereto, a cover ,forsaid tank, said cover being connected to the top of said upstandingsupporting means, said cover closing said tank when said frame rests onsaid bottom tank-wall, said tank having an external exhaustcasing fixedto said tank adjacent the upper end of said tank, the top of saidexhaust casing being below said cover when said cover is in closingposition, the upstanding tank-walls having perforations at said exhaustcasing to provide communication between said tank and the interior spaceof said exhaust-casing, said exhaust-casing being closed save at anoutlet port in the outer wall of said casing, a spray pipe located insaid tank below said perforations, pumping means for pumping liquid fromthe bottom of said tank to said spray pipe.

2. A degreasing device comprising a tank which has a bottom tank walland upstanding tank walls, said tank being open at its top, heater tubemeans located in said tank, a frame which is shaped to be located insaid tank, said heater tube means being located in said tank above saidbottom tank wall and extending inwardly into said tank from anupstanding tank wall, said frame being vertically movable up-and-downrelative to said tank, said frame having a top wall and a bottomsupporting flange and an upstanding wall which connects said top walland said bottom supporting flange, said frame being downwardly movablerelative to said tank to a lower position in which said bottomsupporting-wall rests on said bottom tank well, said tube means beinglocated in a vertical zone between said top wall and said bottomsupportingwall when said frame is in said lower position, said bottomsupporting-wall and said upstanding wall being shaped to clear said tubemeans, said frame being upwardly movable above the top of said tank, acover for said tank, said cover being located above said frame and beingfixed to said frame, said cover closing the top of said tank when saidbottom supporting-wall rests on said supporting means, said top walLofsaid frame having an opening therein, a, pump which has an inlet whichis connected to said bottom tank wall, said pump having an outlet whichis located to communicate with the interior of said tank above saidframe when said frame is in said lower position.

MOSE JAFFA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,057,177 Wolfl' Oct. 13, 19362,208,659 Boggs July 23, 1940 2,253,579 Phillips Aug. 26, 1941 2,277,919Liptak Mar. 31, 1942 2,305,166 Koch Dec. 15, 1942

